ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Seven

Other

"What a good day it is to be alive, when everyone around you starts to die."

"Why'd you write that?"

"I was bored."

"But inside the Death Note's cover?"

"Why not?"

"Is it some sort of statement?"

Steven was in his bedroom with the Death Note lying open on his lap with a white stencil in his hand. Zando was standing over him looking down at the cover where Steven had just written a short phrase inside of it underneath the list of rules.

"It's a line from a song I wrote once." Steven told him.

"I see…" Zando scratched his chin. "So?"

"So stop asking me questions whenever I do something." Steven snapped.

"Ah, sorry." Zando apologized. "Didn't mean to attack your personal space."

Steven paused with a frown on his face. "It's fine…" he muttered.

It had been a couple weeks since the death of Justin Tatcher at Luke's night games. Unfortunately the death had caused a minor consequence for them. Luke's dad announced that there would be no more night games at their house anymore which kind of sucked because Steven had always enjoyed them. And it gave people another reason for hating Justin, even though he was now dead.

Steven remembered seeing Doug, Justin's brother, standing over his dead brother's body. Doug didn't cry but he didn't say anything either. It was the quietest Steven had ever seen him. But he did not feel any guilt for what he'd done. The constant voice in his head told him that it was for the greater good and any guilt now would only cloud his thoughts.

With a sigh, Steven took out the list of criminals that he had recorded on his notebook papers from School. In the past couple weeks Steven had recorded up to ten pages full of names just on criminals throughout America. Nobody would notice a few deaths at Hazen yet. Not with the media focusing on all of the abrupt amount of heart attacks taking place throughout the nation. He would write a few names every morning and every afternoon and he would give them all random times of deaths so that they all didn't die within a certain time limit. He'd decided that if all the deaths occurred in the afternoon then someone would be able to narrow it down to a student. And he did not want that to happen.

But the media had indeed noticed that something strange was happening and that was something Steven wanted. He would watch the news sometimes when nobody was around and see that people were reporting a high number of heart attacks and already there was a scale up online with the number of heart attack deaths in each state specifically.

And the thing that people noticed mostly about all this was that everyone who died was a reported criminal sentenced to either a life time in prison or the death penalty. Steven would smile whenever he saw this. His plan was going accordingly. It was odd. The feeling of accomplishment. Steven usually didn't feel something like this because he didn't put enough effort in anything to feel accomplished. It was kind of refreshing to have everything happen the way he wanted it to.

"Hey, Zando…" Steven asked, looking up from his bedside as he finished writing in the new names of criminals for that day. "Are there any consequences for using the Death Note?"

"Not for Shinigami." Zando muttered matter-of-factly.

"No shit." Steven frowned. "What about humans?"

"Hmm…well…" Zando paused. "Since you've already used the death note, there's no turning back from this so…Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes." Steven said firmly.

"Alright…" Zando sighed. "A person who uses the death note will probably suffer from insanity when they get older and go through stressful mental trauma during the beginning stages of the death note because of the power it brings. This is interesting because it's been, what, three weeks and I've hardly seen any mental stress out of you yet."

"It hasn't been too difficult concealing the Death Note so far, that's probably why." Steven admitted. "And I don't care what happens when I'm an old man. Is there anything else?"

"Why're you so curious all of the sudden?" Zando asked. "You never asked me any of this before."

Steven closed his eyes and leaned backward onto his pillows. "Well, it's only natural to want to know what's going to happen if I do something. Knowing that I'm going to be insane when I'm older is a nice thought though…"

"Well, there's one other thing…" Zando said.

"What is it?"

Zando looked up and grin. "No human who ever uses the death note, no matter the circumstance, will go to either Heaven or Hell when you die."

Steven blinked. "Then what happens?"

"You got to a place called "Nothingness". You become nothing for the rest of eternity." Zando said wickedly. "Scary thought, yes?"

"Nothing…" Steven muttered. "Completely alone…" He imagined a vast white plain where he would be left floating lifelessly for the rest of eternity… It almost made Hell look like a resort."

"Words such as alone don't even register in Nothing." Zando said. "Nothing means just that, Nothing."

"So I'm already screwed then?" Steven asked with a frown.

"Well, you'll find out when you die." Zando smirked. "Sorry."

Steven sat there for a while in silence. Zando tilted his head with a banana sticking out of his mouth curiously. "Don't tell me you're regretting your decision?"

"No…On the contrary…" Steven smiled. "I don't care. I was already prepared to go to Hell a long time ago…And if I end up being nothing then that means when I'm there I won't have a care in the world therefore nothing won't be bad or good…"

Zando smirked. "Look who's optimistic today."

"Hey, Zando…" Steven said. "I want to ask you something…"

Zando swallowed the banana whole and licked his lips. "What is it?"

Steven looked up at the Shinigami with a gleam in his eye. "Is there a way for a human to become a Death God when or before they die?"

The bell rang loudly signaling the end of Third period. Steven emerged from his woodshop class carrying a DVD case holder under his arm that he'd finally finished that day and had it graded as an A. At least he wouldn't have to work in that class for a few days and could draw and socialize with Jacob and their new friend, Noah, who was also kind of an artist himself and was interested in a lot of the same things as they were so they got along great.

As Steven made his way to the lunch room, someone stepped out and bumped right into him. It was a girl and she had been running too quickly. She ended up knocking his case holder to the ground where one of the wooden poles snapped in half.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" the girl apologized with a gaping look.

"It's fine." Steven grumbled, bending over to grab the broken project. He'd worked somewhat hard on it and was a little disappointed to see it break five minutes out of the classroom. He looked up to see who the culprit was and felt a jolt go through him that he hadn't felt in a long time.

It was a girl he recognized from his second period with Ms. Shaunesty. And for that brief few seconds he looked into her eyes, he could feel a strange thumping in his chest. It was indescribable…

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to." She apologized again.

"It's fine." Steven smiled lamely, scratching the back of his head. "It wasn't much anyway…"

"I'll make it up to you, I promise, Steven." She said, walking away. "I'm kind of in a rush, see you around."

"Yeah, see you…" Steven said, watching her go with a kind of dazed feeling.

"Who was that?" Zando asked curiously over his shoulder.

"I think her name was Jennie…" He muttered with a frown as students trifled past him looking annoyed that he was standing there in the middle of the hallway. He quickly joined in with the rest of the line of kids and walked into the lunch room.

"She was cute." Zando grinned. "I think I recognize her."

"I have her in my second period."

"And she knew your name." Zando went on.

Steven rolled his eyes. "You don't get humans very well, do you?"

"I dunno, in the Shinigami realm I hardly know anyone's name. And you don't even know her but she knows your name." Zando teased.

Steven didn't answer back. He himself didn't consider it such a big deal. But for some reason the image of her face stayed with him as he waited in line and got his hamburger and chocolate milk. What was that feeling he got when their eyes met? Wondering about it made it come back and he felt something inside him want to see her again soon. But it was past second period and the weekend was coming up so he would have to wait and by then she probably would forget that she had even collided with him.

Steven walked outside with his food in hand and the Shinigami flying overhead. Steven saw him perch himself up on the tree that they all sat under. Katlynn, Jacob, and Zito were all already there eating and talking.

"Steve-O!" Zito greeted.

"Sup." Steven grinned.

"What happened to your project?" Jacob asked.

"Oh, had a little run in with some girl." Steven shrugged, setting it down on the platform by the tree. "I can take it back to Mr. Mejelli later and have it fixed."

"That's true." Jacob muttered. "He'll be like "Deuce, Deuce Rides!" and fuck your project all up back together again."

They all laughed because it was one of their teacher's famous phrases that he used in every class whenever someone called out "Who rides?!"

For the rest of the lunch hour, Steven talked, joked, and laughed with the rest of them. Only Katlynn seemed to be a little different. Steven was the only one who noticed but decided not to ask until Jacob and Zito weren't paying attention. He knew Katlynn better than the other two and knew that she wasn't the type to spill her thoughts out to everyone at once.

So when the bell rang signaling them to head for fourth period, Steven and Katlynn split off from Zito and Jacob.

"Are you alright, Katlynn?" Steven asked immediately.

"Huh?" Katlynn looked up in surprise. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Liar." Steven smirked. "You were acting different today. You didn't even laugh at Jacob's penis jokes."

Katlynn smiled at this but Steven could see there was something on her mind.

"Well, if you want to talk later…I got to go. Steven said. "See you."

They split off and Steven walked in a different direction but he couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind.

"That girl wasn't as cute as the other one." Zando muttered bluntly as they made their way into Steven's science class. "Why don't you talk to that Jennie girl instead?"

Steven frowned and sat down. Now wasn't a safe time to talk because half the class was full of people already. Zando didn't understand that Katlynn was considered a friend while Jennie was just a passing person in the halls who he hardly knew. To Zando they were both on equal standards. Steven would have to explain social situations to Zando later when they got home.

Steven sat down and waited as Mr. McCarron began today's lesson. They were starting their astronomy unit. Something Steven wasn't too interested in. The movements of the planets weren't exactly something that he was excited about. And when they got their packets he stood from his seat and wandered over to one of the lab tables with some of the people he talked to in that class.

There was Heather and Axel Larson. Axel had once dated Baker but only for a short while. Steven really didn't mind him, though he was kind of a pussy and repeated the same jokes over and over again and it got old. And Heather was just a girl that begged for drama in her life. And it would be a rare day when Steven wouldn't hear her call someone a skank or a hoe. There was also this little black girl named "Veneesia" or something like that. He just called her Venus. But she was a little bit of a stalker and Steven had the distinct feeling that she liked him.

As soon as Steven sat down, Heather and Venus turned to each other and immediately started their gossiping session that would last about ten minutes. Zando sat on top of the counter looking across the class room at a blonde girl who was showing off a bit too much cleavage that day. Steven smirked when he saw what the Death God was gawking at, remembering that a couple days ago he'd walked into his bedroom and saw Zando reading through his dad's playboys.

"What can I say? The human girls are way cuter than the Shinigami ones." Zando would grin stupidly when Steven told him to put them back before his father found out.

"Hey, Heather, have you even started the packet?" Axel asked.

"No, why?" She asked dumbly.

"Because us smart boys over here are doing all the work." Steven muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah, while the bitches' gossip." Axel laughed.

"Man, shuddup, foo!" Venus snapped.

Zando looked down. "Huh, a fight?"

Steven shook his head. Another thing Zando didn't understand was that this day and age people insulted each other as friends as well as enemies so the banter between Axel, Heather, and Venus was nothing special.

Heather opened her mouth to say something to her brother when she abruptly grabbed at her chest and stood up gasping.

"Heather, you alright?" Venus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Steven blinked and looked up.

Heather continued to gasp like a fish out of water until she collapsed to the floor, knocking stools over by the lab tables. Everyone backed away in surprise and was talking in hushed whispers. Axel ran around the table and bent over next to his sister. "Heather? Heather!?"

"What the fuck?" Steven muttered under his breath. Zando's attention drew away to the girl on the floor instead.

"You killed another one, huh?" The Shinigami asked Steven matter-of-factly.

But Steven was shaking his head. This wasn't him. His Death note was at home. Sure, Heather's name was on the list of people he was planning on killing one day but he'd never actually written her name inside the Death Note. But then how…?

Mr. McCarron crouched next to Heather's body and put his fingers on her neck. "What happened?" He asked quickly.

"She just collapsed." Axel muttered, tears running down his face.

"Is she alright?"

"It looked like she couldn't breath…"

"She just fell!"

People were talking all around the classroom. To them it was just like the time the three Mexican students had died. But to Steven, this was something else entirely.

"She's dead…" Mr. McCarron muttered quietly. "Someone…someone get the principal and the nurse here, right now!"

"I'll go." Venus muttered.

"She's not dead…she can't be…" Axel moaned, running his hands through his hair, looking horror-struck.

What the hell was going on? Steven hadn't written her name in the Death Note. Could the notebook be going hay wire or something? No… Even Zando would've told him something like that. What were the chances of someone dying of a heart attack just like that? Sure, Heather probably did drugs but at that age someone shouldn't be capable of dying of a heart attack. She would be in a lot worse state beforehand if that were the case. But she looked at least healthy enough not to have just died from a heart attack. But now she was extremely pale and lifeless on the floor in Mr. McCarron's arms…

This wasn't the work of Steven or his Death Note…This was someone else. Steven thought about it for the rest of the day as he finished up all of his classes. At the end of sixth period, the death of Heather Larson was announced to the rest of the school over the intercom.

On the bus, Steven decided he would go and hang out with Zito but the entire way home he thought long and hard about what he'd seen.

"Did you hear what happened?" Zito asked with a shocked expression.

"Yeah, Heather's death?" Steven nodded. "I was there when it happened."

"Are you serious?" Zito asked.

"Yeah…"

"Wow, first Sean, now Heather…" Zito muttered. "And you saw both of them?"

"Yeah, except Sean killed himself." Steven said. "Heather just kind of collapsed…"

"Wow…"

Steven frowned as they both grew silent and the bus started up. There was no other conclusion. Someone else in Hazen High School had a Death Note.

But it would have had to be someone with a grudge for Heather. She was always going on about gossip. Steven never listened. He didn't know half the sluts that she talked about with Venus. Any of them could have done it… Anyone in the school, even a teacher, was a suspect…

And suddenly Steven felt angry. Someone else was out there doing what only he should be capable of. They could ruin his plans. Whoever this person was, they could be using the Death Note carelessly. If only Steven knew who it was. He could kill them himself and steal their Death Note so that he could have a second copy just in case. But how was he going to figure this out? Someone with a grudge against Heather… As far as Steven knew, this person hadn't killed anyone else because it would've been announced on the school intercom and if a criminal had been killed by heart attack over the media then Steven would've caught that it was someone he hadn't written the name of in yet. And so far neither had happened which means that Heather was the first person to have died by this other death note. This also means that it had to be someone with a grudge for her because it was the same as how he'd killed Sean Church as a test subject and Ashlee Peters as well. This person had tested the Death Note today, and that meant that they were probably just now realizing the power they had in their hands…

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